New York State of Mind: Part 3, The City (Tuesday and Wednesday)

We got a late start Tuesday, having been out very late the previous night at the comedy show. We decided to "mack on some cupcakes" at Magnolia's Bakery. The icing was particularly spectacular.

After that, because our digestive systems hadn't been punished enough, we set off to have lunch at Katz's Deli. Upon entrance to Katz', you are given a ticket, on which everything you order is tallied. You pay at a cashier right before leaving (note: they only accept cash!). Word to the wise: Losing this ticket means a $50 minimum payment to get out the door. Do not lose the ticket!

Remember this from When Harry Met Sally?

Husband had a corned beef and I had turkey. The best turkey I've ever eaten in my whole entire twenty-five years on this planet. And, believe me, I've eaten a lot of turkey. Eventually, I abandoned the bread. The pickles were also amazing (the dill, at least. I didn't have the sweet pickles thanks to a personal aversion and also my stomach at a near-bursting point). Everything is cooked/sliced/made fresh on-site. *Drools*

The owner, who appears with various celebrities in pictures covering the walls, even stopped by our table. That was so unexpected and nice that, even though he owns this famous (and rightfully so) deli, he still cares about the everyday customers that come in.

Next we went to the Rockefeller area. This is a chapel directly across the street.

The Lego Store is also nearby. Husband had to get a picture with the biggest Lego set he's coveting - the Death Star.

The Lego Store is decorated with - surprise - Lego. This is a dragon created from Lego suspended from the ceiling.

We also visited the Nintendo Store. Husband decided against the backpack purchase. Ah, at least he'll have the picture to remember it by.

Then we went to the "Top of the Rock" observation tower. This is a view of Radio City Music Hall on our way up.

It was a little rainy, but the views from the top of Rockefeller were amazing. This is where I learned that Husband has a real aversion to heights. It was an interesting revelation. I guess in the decade we've been together, we've never been to the top of something really, really high. You learn something new about your partner every day!
Awesome, right?
You can even see the tiny Statue of Liberty in this picture. She's located in the middle of the bay on the right side of the picture.
After leaving Rockefeller, we made our way to Grand Central Station to meet up with our friend, getting thoroughly drenched in the process. It was the only bad weather we experienced during our entire vacation!
The next day, Wednesday, we began the morning with a crepe from a tiny Creperie (I swooned over strawberry, and Husband went nuts for nutella/banana). *Additional drooling*
We walked by the NBC studios on our way to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
MoMa was my main sightseeing pick for our trip. It didn't disappoint. And, for the record, it was acceptable to take pictures without flash! Does this look familiar?
Monet's Water Lillies. The scale of this painting is incredible. It spans a room.
Another famous piece I'm sure you'll recognize!
No, not a kindergartner...Pollack! The scale of this painting was also massive in person.
Girl power!
There was a helicopter suspended from the ceiling...for some reason...
This might have been one of my favorites - a typography exhibit!
After MoMa, we joined our friend and went to a Broadway Show, my other must-do for our trip.

We saw The Phantom of the Opera, a true classic (and now Broadway's longest running show), at The Majestic Theatre.
We had front row seats, which we purchased that day through TKTS. If you ever want to see a Broadway show, purchase tickets from a TKTS booth...up to 50% off incredible shows! I was so pleased with our seats. We could look right down into the orchestra pit, and I could watch the Phantom spit as he sang to my heart's content!

I expected the theatre to be massive, but it was actually pretty intimate, around the size of Elliott Hall on Purdue campus, if not a bit smaller even. Incredible! The large chandelier at the top of this picture is part of the set. If you know Phantom, then you know it is movable. It came swooping down right over the audience and onto the stage. So cool!

Thank you so much, Husband, for taking me.
We walked home from the show through Times Square.We had such a wonderful time in New York City. I would have loved to have a few more days to see some more sites and eat some more amazing food, but I don't know that we ever would have had enough time to see and do everything. It gives us a reason to return someday.